Through my observation of marriage licenses in England through the 1600s to the 1800s I have witnessed a tremendous variation in the penalty that would be required if a marriage was invalid. Some penalties were 100 pounds (William Ward to Elizabeth Kerry in Overton, Flintshire in 1765) and possibly less, some for as much as 500 pounds (John Youd's marriage to Elizabeth Reynolds in Doddleston, Cheshire in 1793).
What were the primary reasons for this variation in the penalty fee, excluding of course monetary inflation over time?
Were penalties at certain times of the year more expensive than others, or if the marriage needed to be particularly quick?